It is pertinent that prospective homeowners be educated on a myriad of topics relevant to the process. From gaining a reality of what is required to comprehending how these components work together, the journey to a custom home, though intricate, is certainly worth the end reward.

To that end, Urban Home is proud to announce the first of a series of objective, educational articles to guide home buyers through this process. We’ll begin with one of the most important topics—a comprehensive discussion on gaining mental preparedness when embarking on the custom home journey.

In order to experience the joy and satisfaction of creating your new living space, you must first understand the required time, money and effort needed to complete the project.

Establish Realistic Expectations

It is important to begin the process by hosting an introspective no-holds-barred conversation with yourself. What are your needs? Why are you building? How will this project be orchestrated?

David Burak, a homeowner currently building a custom home, says, “You can never be 100 percent mentally prepared for the custom home process. Different homes equal different outcomes. The first part of the journey is to discover reality.”

Understanding the motivational factors behind your decision to build is key in setting reasonable goals. Acknowledging your limitations and realistically gauging project depth will keep your expectations grounded, eliminating feelings of discontent with the process.

Perform Extensive Research

As with any project, the first step in ensuring success is to learn as much as possible about your topic. This is especially true with the custom home building process. The decisions you make today will be with you throughout the life of your home. Research-worthy items are location options, including neighbor hood, schools, and proximity to work and entertainment; builder reputations; and desired amenities.

Burak suggests compiling a comprehensive bid document, specif¬ically outlining expectations. “I created a document that thoroughly explained my requirements and then solicited builder proposals. This gave me more control over where my money was going.”

Understand the Time Commitment

Depending upon the role you choose to play in the process, the project size and available resources, building a home will consume a large amount of your time in the next months or even years. Most home projects, from start to finish, require 12 to 18 months, including many weeknight and weekend hours. Be prepared for the “middle of the night” revelations about an unresolved issue. Talk things through with your spouse or significant other. Put the nagging unresolved problems into perspective and keep in mind that some issues may not have an easy, immediate answer, but most issues will be sorted out in time.

Get Ready for the Decisions

A new home has hundreds of materials—and what seems like hundreds of decisions. Ask yourself if you are ready to put in the nec¬essary time and have the patience to make all the decisions that are required to build a home. If not, you may be better off working with an architect or house designer or selecting a builder who will customize an existing model. Countless decisions must be made on everything including hinges, toilets, light fixtures, door knobs, paint colors, trim choices, light switches—and many more similar items.

Understand that the decision making process is much more complex than most people realize. This is one of the first places where an architect, house designer or professional interior designer easily earns their fees.

Realize Financial Capabilities

Because selling a current home and closing on a new one rarely coincide, it is necessary to be prepared to support two mortgages – at least for a short time period. Otherwise, you are likely to incur expenses related to finding alternate housing if your current home sells quickly, along with the associated costs of moving twice and possible storage needs. You must always be aware of the hidden costs wrapped up in last-minute changes to plans and random “extras” added along the way. These can add up to additional thousands on the mortgage.

“If you want a home that has never been built before and will never be built again, expect to spend more. But remember that in the end, you have more than a house; you have an artistic expression of yourself!” said Doug McSpadden, of McSpadden Homes.

Expect the Unexpected

Even the best-laid plans go astray, and it is impossible to plan for the unexpected. How can you cope? Realize that things happen and simply chalk it up to “life.”

“I would advise prospective custom homeowners to plan for the worst and hope for the best,” said Burak. “You have to set your expectations in reasonable terms, realizing plans are not always concrete.”

Building a home is referred to as the “American Dream.” It is, after all, the opportunity to own a piece of land and put a nice roof over your family’s head. However, this dream can quickly turn into a nightmare if you do not take the proper steps to adequately prepare yourself before embarking on the journey.

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Article provided by and reprinted with permission from Urban Home Magazine (Issue: Summer 2007).

For an archive of this and other magazine articles, visit urbanhomemagazine.com.